Algeria: Balhah will not be released before Eid al-Fiter

Algerian government sources said yesterday that the second highest ranking man in the banned Islamic Salvation Front, Ali Balhah, will stay in prison until agreeing on a way to releasing him, denying news that Balhah had met with envoys for the Algerian President Abdul Aziz Butaflika to discuss the bases on which he will be released.

The Algerian government sources also denied that a delegation for the Algerian presidency had met with Balhah on Monday in his military prison in al-Bleida province ( 50 Km to the west of the capital Algiers ) in order to discuss means of releasing him before Eid al-Fiter.

The same sources explained that the fact that the presidential delegation did not visit Balhah because of the presidency's rejection of the conditions set by Balhah for his release, after he had called to have an official recognition that his imprisonment was a repression, and that his release to be within the context of the national reconciliation policy, rather than releasing "a criminal," as stated in a message addressed to the public opinion issued by his family two weeks ago.

The sources added that the presidency did not like these conditions which means that Ali Balhah will remain in prison until the case will be discussed after Ramadan.